Animal lover rescues dog found along side of road

A dog that was struck by a vehicle Tuesday and whose plight was shared on social media is on her way to recovery, thanks to the woman who found her and others.

Shonda Duncan, a nurse from Adrian, was driving to Ida at 10:10 a.m. to see patients when she saw the shepherd-beagle mix dog slumped on the ground near Ogden Highway and Deerfield Road, wounded and semi-conscious.“I saw she had obviously been hit,” Duncan said.

Duncan picked the dog up, put her in the car, and took her to Kelly Veterinary Clinic in Madison Township. A photo of the dog was posted and shared on Facebook in the hopes of finding her owner. It was also shared on the Lenawee Humane Society’s Facebook page.

As of Saturday afternoon, the repost on the Humane Society’s Facebook page had been shared more than 2,800 times.

The dog’s injuries were assessed and it was found she had suffered a broken tail, abrasions on her hind quarters from being struck by a vehicle, and a minor head injury. It was also determined through X-rays she had been shot twice at some point in her life, though the wounds were old and have healed. The dog’s age is estimated at 5 to 8 years old.

Duncan named the dog “Hope” and checked on her every day at the clinic. After the dog was medically cleared, the Lenawee County Sheriff’s Department’s animal control division signed the dog over to the Humane Society.

Marcie Cornell, the Humane Society’s executive director, said this prevents additional costs to the county and allows for the creation of a foster home environment for Hope.

“It also allows us to use ‘Vicki’s Fund,’ which provides funding for life-saving measures,” Cornell said.

Duncan said Hope will be given “a lot of love” in her new environment and that she plans to adopt the dog after the formality of the foster period ends, to join her family that includes two other dogs and a cat.

The Humane Society will cover food and medical expenses — including amputation of Hope’s broken tail — throughout the duration of the foster program, and Duncan will have first choice to adopt Hope.